On account of /owing to

[Jigen]

Would you please tell me which expression best fits the following sentences or if they can be used both?

1)I decided to stay at home on account of/ owing to my sister('s) being ill.
2)I said nothin about it on accountof/owing to his wife('s) leaving.

 

[Edinburgher]

I would avoid "on account of" in both cases. "Owing to" can work, but it would seem simpler with "because of".
Even better would be to re-write without gerunds:

1) I decided to stay at home because my sister was ill.
2) I said nothing about it because his wife had left (him) / because his wife was leaving (him).

 

[Jigen]

Thank you,Edinburgher
I have anoother question:is it grammatically correct if I use a gerund after "on account of"?

 

[Edinburgher]

Yes. There is no grammatical reason to avoid using "on account of" with a gerund. The objection is purely on stylistic grounds.

 

[Jigen]

Another Question:
When I use a pronoun whis "on account of" it must be a an object pronoun (me,you,him) or a possessive adjective

"I decided not to leave on account of him(or his)studying for the exam"

Would you agree?